One Fall Morning
by Aldera Bright
Summary: Brianna's first day of high school. Oneshot.


"BRIANNA, IF YOU'RE NOT DOWN HERE IN 10 SECONDS I'LL COME UP AND POUR WATER ON YOUR HEAD!" Drew yelled up at his daughter.

"That's not very nice," his husband grinned at him.

"Eh, she'll get up."

Brianna came downstairs. "I had a lung transplant. You'd think I'd deserve to sleep."

"Yeah, not on the first day of school. C'mon. Go take a shower. Get ready."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Shouldn't you be tired after working all night?"

"Hooo no, I am just getting started." Truth be told, he was tired, it had been a long night, but missing his daughter's first morning of high school? Not gonna happen.

Brianna did as she was told, taking a shower, getting dressed, putting on make-up. That was something she hadn't thought about; how do you ask your two macho of the macho-est dads how to put on make-up? Youtube. Youtube had been good to her. And some help from a fellow former foster kid in Shannon. Fellow former foster kid. She wasn't a foster kid any more. She grinned at herself in the mirror as she thought about it, putting the last finishing touches on. She then went to the full length mirror and looked at herself, taking a deep breath.

Rick knocked on the open door. "Nervous?"

"Yeah." She looked at him in the mirror.

"You're gonna be great. Your classmates will love you." They'd found a smallish Episcopalian high school; safer on her immune system, and liberal and so her parents wouldn't be a big deal.

"But most of these kids attended elementary and middle school together."

"Most but not all. Plus, it's everyone's first day, and 25% of them their first day of high school."

"True."

"C'mon, your dad made you French toast."

"My other dad made me French toast," she said it with a giggle and walked downstairs with him. She had two parents. And they both loved her. It made her heart sing.

"Wow! You look great!" Drew saw the jeans and empire waist shirt she'd picked out. You could see the top of her scar in it, along with a modest amount of cleavage. "Going with the full assault today. Remember what we told you: two wildly over protective parents."

"C'mon, the scar will scare the boys away." She figured she should just get it over with, everyone knowing that she had been sick. She walked over and grabbed the anti-rejection drugs he'd set by her plate, swallowing them first thing.

"And if not, we will," Rick grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Not going there."

The three sat down to breakfast. Bree was so nervous she was shaking and having a hard time choking it down. "Thanks. Sorry. I'm just nervous."

"You got a new set of lungs. And now you're gonna be scared of school?" Drew teased.

"Well when you put it like that…" She took a deep breath and then a long sip of orange juice. She could do this.

"But seriously: If you want to do Fall semester with the tutor on the pediatric floor, we can do that."

"It's fine, I'll deal."

After breakfast she went and brushed her teeth, then grabbed her backpack. It was almost time to go. "Alright. I think I'm ready," she looked at her dads as they lingered over their protein shakes.

"Okay. Hold on though, one more thing." Rick walked over to the counter and grabbed as sign he'd made. It said 'This is my first day of 9th grade.' He handed it to her. "Picture time."

She grinned. "Okay." She held it up and he took the picture.

"That's going on the fridge," he smiled and showed Drew.

"Absolutely," his husband agreed.

The three headed out to Rick's Ford F250 and he drove the three of them over to the school.

Drew turned around and looked at Bree. "And you're sure you want to do this? No one ever wants to be seen with their parents."

"I want to be seen with mine. Besides, if they're going to talk, I'd rather get it over with. And the drugs have to be registered anyway."

"But you could be ostracized."

"Drew, don't get into her head. We're old. We're married. We have a kid. We're normal."

Now it was Drew's turn to roll his eyes. "Okay."

The three got out and headed into the office. Drew was very thorough with the school nurse, going over what she'd need. Bree got bored halfway through as a couple of girls she'd met at orientation walked by and waved. "Wait for me," she called at them. "Alright, I'm going, I have to get to class, you sort this out." She hugged Drew in the middle of a sentence and then hugged Rick. "Bye Dads!" she quickly walked after her friends. "Hey!"

"Hey! You're here on the first day of school." It hadn't been a guarantee.

"Yeah, no problems. Lungs are working great."

"Apparently." Laurie reached out and touched the scar on Bree's chest. "That's your scar?"

"Yeah. I figured I should get it over with." She'd mentioned it to them, but she'd been wearing a tee shirt during orientation so most people didn't know.

"You're so brave."

"And yet I almost threw up this morning."

"Because of nerves about this?"

"Yeah."

Laurie threw an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, high school, this is what we've been waiting for. Soccer practice, football games, homecoming, all of it."

"You know everyone."

"And you will too, we'll make sure of that," Haley promised.

Sure enough, the day went well. Bree felt welcomed by her classmates and at this school it almost seemed like an advantage being new -most of the kids had been together for years, so they were excited for new blood. Everyone had been super friendly.

"Are you going to play soccer here?" one of the guys asked, coming along side Bree and noting that she'd been hanging out with Laurie and Haley most of the day.

"Nah, I can't."

"Why not? We're not that good at it. You're in shape. You could make the frosh team for sure."

"Yeah, I'm running on borrowed lungs. Not happening." She gestured to her scar.

"Holy crap, that's one way to drop it on me." His eyes had grown huge.

"You asked."

"I'm Caleb."

"Bree."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"Is Caleb already chatting you up? See I told you'd be popular. Caleb's quarterback on the JV football team." Laurie explained.

"Quarterback running a 4.5/40 as a freshman on the JV football team," he bragged. "You coming to the game this week?"

"Definitely," Laurie nodded. "Wouldn't want to miss Widdle Caleb making his big high school debut."

"Look, I have to go. My dad's here," Bree told both of them.

"C'mon, are you sure you don't want to stay for soccer practice? You could be the manager."

"Thanks for the offer, but maybe next year." She was exhausted. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"See you then."

She walked over to the truck and climbed in. "So how'd it go?" Drew wanted to know.

"It went well."

"Who was the guy you were talking to?" He looked him up and down.

"Caleb. Apparently is the JV quarterback. Runs a 4.5/40, whatever that means."

"It means he's a stud! You can never go near him, but dang."

"He and Laurie and Haley tried to get me to play soccer or manage the soccer team, but I said 'no.'"

"You should do it! I don't know about you playing just yet, but manager? That'd be awesome."

"You really think so?"

"Definitely."

"I feel so tired right now though."

"Your stamina will increase. I bet they'd work with you."

"I'm not going to be their inspirational story."

"No, but c'mon. It could be fun. Why not go check it out? If you call me, I'll come get you."

"You're sure you don't mind driving back here twice?"

"Not at all."

"Okay." Bree got out of the car and walked back to where Caleb and Laurie were standing. "I guess I will be your soccer team manager. If your coach is okay with it."

Haley walked up. "She is. We already told her we were going to try and convince you. She knows about your lungs, says it's fine. I mean, if worst comes to worst we can carry our own stuff, right?"

"Okay," Bree grinned.

Because soccer wasn't over until 6, it meant she missed dinner with Drew, but she would catch-up with him in the morning. Caleb was waiting for a ride at the same time she was. "This is my ride," she told him as Rick pulled up.

"That's a different guy than picked you up earlier."

"Yeah. I have two dads."

"Like your parents are divorced?"

"No. Happily married. My dads are happily married to each other."

"Do they talk in those weird voices?"

"Haha, no."

"What about obsess about fashion?"

"No way."

"Go out for brunch?"

"Well, who doesn't love brunch?"

"True."

"C'mon, I'll introduce you to one of them."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

They walked over to the truck and Rick got out. "Hey, how'd soccer practice go?" He knew it wasn't necessary to get out, but he wanted to hug Bree after a long first day.

"It went well. I'm exhausted, but happy," she hugged him back.

"Good."

"This is Caleb. He wanted to know if you talked in that weird gay voice."

"Bree," Caleb shook his head, embarrassed.

"My husband doesn't either. Similar build," Rick choked back a laugh. "I'm completely serious, just… Stereotypes are funny."

"What brand of protein do you use?" Caleb was slightly in awe at how muscular the guy was.

"That's the big argument in our house. But I swear by Gold Standard. Is that the first question you usually ask a gay guy?"

"It is when they look like you!"

Rick grinned with satisfaction. Jocks gonna jock. "I played high school football at Katy. Can't wait to come to games here." They were tiny but a power house -Rick and Drew had made sure of it. Their daughter deserved to attend a school she could be proud of on the gridiron.

"I'll introduce you to my parents so you guys have someone to sit with." Caleb's southern hospitality came out.

"That would be great."

Another car pulled up. "Actually, here." He ran over and grabbed his mom.

She got out and walked up. "I'm Amy."

"Rick. AKA Bree's Dad."

Bree rolled her eyes.

"I'm proud of the title! And I have to embarrass you. It's in the 'Dad' book."

"There's no 'dad' book."

"Yes there is. And I'm bound by it to mortify you at every opportunity."

"Oookay, if it's what makes you happy."

"Bree is new to school and apparently your son has done a great job at helping her make friends," he smiled at Amy.

"She was already friends with Laurie," Caleb explained to his mom. "I just saw them talking. Laurie's our neighbor," he explained to Bree and Rick.

"Oh yeah. The Johnsons are great. We'll have to have a barbecue with the three families," Amy nodded.

"Or a tailgate," Rick nodded. "Do you guys tailgate here?"

"Definitely. You should come this week. Starts at 5:30. The kids come over once they're done with practice."

"Anything I can bring?"

"Your beer of choice?"

"Perfect. I'll be there."

"See you tomorrow Caleb," Bree told him.

"Bye Bree."

 **Author's note:** Open to suggestions on what to write next. Your comments mean the world! Hopefully we get a fourth season. -Aldera B.


End file.
